Q: When is a dead bird in the hand worth considerably more than two in the bush? A: When that bird is a protected species–and possession and public display of any portion of its corpse is punishable by a six-figure fine. Or so Valley sculptor Paul Stout discovered the hard…
In March, archaeologists under contract with the Arizona Department of Transportation, inching along with trowels and brushes, exhumed 57 skeletons alongside a lonesome two-lane road in the Tonto National Forest. The bodies dated to the 13th or 14th century, the earthly remains of prehistoric Native Americans, laid to rest with…
Gambling on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, which borders Scottsdale, could generate $450 million annually, projections show. At this point, however, projections are all anyone can make. No casinos have been approved or built. The tribe hasn’t decided whether to run the casinos itself or to hire an outside…
Bob Hirschfeld, fathers’-rights custody lawyer, keeps the door of his Phoenix office locked during business hours. Unexpected visitors are vigorously questioned by Hirschfeld’s staff, and he seems almost proud of two bullet holes in the windows of the reception area. Hirschfeld is convinced he is a good lawyer. But now…
James Jorquez has been caught up in the gusts of his wife’s passion for historic homes. They’ve lived in some of Phoenix’s older houses in some of the city’s older neighborhoods, places like Willo and Story and now Roosevelt, a spring afternoon’s walk from the original downtown core. About eight…
There are movie columns that come free from the neon-lighted glare of the multiplex lobby, from the sweet smell of a thousand spilled kernels of stale popcorn. This is one of them. In June of 1995, I’m at my desk, looking at the blinking cursor on the computer screen before…
As Hollywood satire, Swimming With Sharks is nothing particularly new. It’s The Player mixed with David Mamet’s Speed-the-Plow and a perverse pinch of Reservoir Dogs–Tinseltown bile and a drop or two of blood. This small film is worth seeing, though, for the cleanly written, bitchy dialogue by George Huang, and…
Lily’s Cafe, 6706 North 58th Drive, Glendale, 937-7757. Hours: Lunch, Wednesday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Breakfast and Lunch, Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Sunday, 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Dinner, Wednesday through Saturday, 4:30 to 9 p.m.; Sunday, 4:30 to 7 p.m. When I get the…
On the Waterfront: A recent family trip north to Lake Powell met just about my every prevacation expectation: squabbling kids, expensive lodgings, gorgeous scenery. But I was pleasantly surprised by the dining room at Wahweap Lodge, the lakefront hotel that was the jumping-off point for our excursions. As a veteran…
There’s nothing like an early death to prompt critical reconsideration–Frank Zappa, who succumbed to cancer in late 1993 at the age of 52, has gotten a major boost to his reputation. At the time of his passing, the music made by this grumpy auteur was heard by few listeners outside…
The boys in Beats the Hell Out of Me are green! They’re babes in the woods of rock! They’re new to the ways of the Business, and by that, of course, I mean the Industry! Check this out: When I met the Tempe quintet–guitarists Tom Coffeen and Chris Bailey, bassist…
Live albums? Why, they’re either contractual obligations or shameful cash-ins for someone who’s just bolted from his record label. More often, they’re the measure of an artist whose best work is behind him. Take Paul McCartney. His albums barely go gold anymore, so it’s no surprise that he’s released three…
Arizona Theatre Company has joined Actors Theatre of Phoenix by ending the season not with a bang, but saving a buck. Both theatres concluded the year with one-man shows. Last month, ATP gave us An Evening With Groucho, and now we have an opportunity for theatrical dj vu. Actually, ATC’s…
“Can Broadway be saved?” was the question on the cover of New York magazine last week. Inside, Michael Goldstein prescribed a 12-step program to restore the flagship of the American theatre to its former glory. First, he says, Broadway must admit it’s got a problem. If you were one of…
June Is Caveat Emptor Month Last week, John Hays, director of the Arizona Weights and Measures department, issued a memo informing his employees that the department had run out of money for the fiscal year, which ends June 30. Weights and Measures sleuths are supposed to check the veracity of…
Cheryl Burgess, a member of the Wickenburg Town Council, said she had documents and information about the explosion in Oklahoma City. A self-described Arizona patriot, Burgess is a faithful trooper in the militia culture that President Bill Clinton has blamed for the bombing of the federal building. Today, Cheryl Burgess…
Land owners inside the downtown stadium site say their properties can’t be condemned because the facility is being built to benefit private interests. They say the state constitution requires that property condemned under eminent domain must be for a public use, and that the stadium project doesn’t meet that standard…
Faced with an investigation by the Attorney General’s Office, pressure from the federal Health Care Finance Administration and inquiries from state legislators, Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System officials announced last week that all contractors in the program’s Information Services Division will be let go. Employees present at the meeting…
For thousands of Arizonans, the court case known as Arnold v. Sarn was a godsend. The landmark lawsuit grew from a sensitive subject that few people voluntarily broach: how society cares for its seriously mentally ill. Superior Court Judge Bernard Dougherty forced the issue with a ruling in 1985. Maricopa…
Two Thursdays ago, I had the honor to be a judge for the third annual Valley Art Cinematic Society Student Film Festival. In the company of fellow judges Jana Bommersbach, former New Times editor turned TV personality, and Steven Brain, new head of Fox Animation, I watched 43 short films…
Groups of movies on the same subject often arrive too close together to be accounted for only by imitation; it may be one of the more unsubtle workings of the collective unconscious. In 1984, three films were released about the struggle to save a family farm, all of them–Country, The…
Squeeze Me: Everyone knows Phoenix isn’t on the cutting edge of national trends. We get movies six months after they open in Los Angeles, and Howard Stern years after he’s worn out his welcome in other markets. Same with food. Tiramisu still qualifies as an exotic dessert here, and I…
